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Patented Oct. '7, 1890.

G. F". RANSOM.

ELECTRIC GUEST CALL.

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b @Q o@@@@@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. RANSOM, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO GEORGE L. l-IILT, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC G U EST-CALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,798, dated October '7, 1890.

Application filed March 21, 1890. serial No.344,792. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. Ransom, of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Guest-Calls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices used in hotels for registering the hour a guest desires to be called and giving notice thereof when said hour has arrived; and it consists, generally, in a frame having a suitable opening in it, in which an ordinary clock may be secured. Arranged upon the board on either side of the clock are suitable hooks upon which may be suspended checks representing the numbers of the several rooms in the hotel; also, arranged in any suitable location upon said board are a series of hooks representing consecutively the calling-hours.

Arranged to be rotated upon the arbor of the hour-hand is a dial-plate carrying a series of obstructions, which in their normal position pass without engaging an electrical connection arranged contiguous to the periphery of the dial-plate; but when a guest desires to be called at any particular hour the obstruction is so arranged that when that hour arrives the obstruction will engage the electrical connection, closing a circuit passing through an ordinary electric call-bell, which informs the clerk that a call is to be made. By looking on the hook representing the hour shown 011 the clock-dial the clerk can see by the roomcheck hung thereon the guests who are to be called, all of which will more clearly appear from the drawings accompanying this specification, together with the following more particular description thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved guest-call. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line :1: cc of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are details.

In the drawings, 2 represents a frame having secured thereon in any suitable manner a clock 3. Arranged upon the frame 2 are the hooks 5, representing the number of the different rooms in the hotel. Above the clock is arranged another series of hooks 7, representing consecutively each quarter hour for the twelve hours required for the hour-hand to make the entire circuit of a clock. I prefer to so arrange the series of hooks 5 and 7 and the clock 3 as to provide suitable advertisingspaces 9 upon the same board.

Secured upon the arbor 11, which usually carries the hour-hand, is an ordinary clockdial 13, having a series of holes in its periphery between each hour-figure, these holes being adapted to receive the pins 17, which are held in any position in which they may be placed by means of any suitable friction device, preferably an elastic band 19, which encircles the entire series of pins, so that they may be pushed in or pulled out, when they will stay as placed.

An electric bell 21 is secured in any suitable manner to the frame 2, having a generating-battery 23, the wire connection 25 being electrically connected to the arbor 11 and through to the dial-plate 13, the wire 27 passing through the magnet 29 and adapted to be brought in contact by the rotation of the dial 13 through the contact-spring 33 with the pins 17 when they are pushed in. By this means when the contact is made between the springs 33 and pin 17 the bell 21 is caused to ring.

The operation is as follows: The guest in room desiring to be called,the check representing that room is taken oflf its hook 5 and placed upon the hook '7, representing the hour he desires to be called atsay half-past fiveand the pin 17, representing 5.30 on the dial, is pushed in, when the dial revolves by means of the clock mechanism until the hour named. Then the pin 17 so pushed in comes in contact with the spring 33, closing the circuit and causing the bell to ring, which notifies the clerk that a call is to be made. the check representing the room 40 off of the hook 7 and makes the call at that room. Any number of checks in this manner may be placed upon the hook 7, and the clerk thereby notified that the guests in those rooms are to be called at that hour. Any number of hour-calls may be arranged for instead of four to the hour or once every fifteen minutes. It maybe made every hour, or every half-hour or otherwise, as desired. I also prefer to arrange a spring 31, adapted to engage said dial He takes to prevent the ordinary variation occasioned by looseness of the parts of the clock mechanism. 'By this device sufficient friction only may be used against the periphery of the dial as to allow it to move only as the clock mechanism carries it.

I claim 1. The combination, in a guest-call, of a clock, a revoluble dial arranged upon the hour-arbor of the clock, and provided with a series of movable pins and each adapted to close a circuit through an electric bell at any hour desired, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an electric guestcall with a call-bell, of the revoluble dial 13, contact-pins 17, mounted on said dial, an elastic band surrounding said pins, and the spring 33, with which said pins are adapted to make contact, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the frame 2, having the spaces 9, of an electric bell, a clock, a revoluble dial arranged upon the hour-arbor of said clock, and pins arranged upon said dial, adapted to close the electric circuit of said bell at any hour desired, substantially as described. V

4. The combination, in a guest-call, of a board 2,'having arranged upon it the hooks 5, having checks representing the numbers of each room, the hooks 7, representing the hourcalls, a clock 3, dial 13, pins 17, electric callbell 21, and springs 31 and 33, constructed and operated substantially as described, for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 15th day of March, 1890.

, GEORGE F. RANSOM. o In presence of- A. 0. PAUL, BESSIE Boorn. 

